My dogs have quirks.

For a long time, Ernest had a habit of standing on the coffee table. Sometimes he stood on top of the patio table outside. Sometimes he’d lay down on top of them, but most often he just stood there. He hasn’t done that in a long while. He’s older now–he just turned 12–and I’m not sure he can jump up there. His vision is failing and he may not see well enough to feel confident making the jump. He most often lies under the coffee table now.

Pete has a funny habit of needing to put at least two toys in his mouth at a time. Three if possible. Or, it is quite often one toy and one shoe. Petey loves to carry around shoes. The trouble is he never leaves them off where he found them. So I’m forever going around the house searching for the mate. I have been known to go out with two different shoes in a pinch. Pete never chews on the shoes. He just likes to carry them around.

Fetch your slipper?

It would be nice if my dogs had a really useful quirk. Like gathering up all their toys and putting them back in the basket. Or fetching me a blanket when I’m cold. Or mopping the floors with their long, bushy tails. But then again, I really don’t need anything else from them. Just a wag of the tail and a soft nuzzle with a wet nose and I’m theirs. They can sleep on the table, under the table, on the bed, or even on top of the pile of laundry I’m folding. I guess their best quirk is that somehow, out of all the rescue moms in the world, they chose me. And that’s enough.

Does your dog have a clever or funny quirk? Share in the comments!